Nkrumah defeated Danquah in 1960 Presidential poll – Baako ‘schools’ Paul Otchere

Ace journalist, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako Jnr has waded into the raging CPP, UGCC banter with a jab at a host of Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana program, Paul Adom Otchere.

Contrary to claims by Mr. Otchere that Ghana’s first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah never won any Presidential election in the country, Mr Baako says the first president did not only win a presidential election, he defeated his biggest rival at the time, JB Danquah on April 27, 1960, Presidential election.

Mr. Otchere in a mini-debate with Managing Editor of Insight newspaper Kwesi Pratt Jnr on an Accra-based radio station Wednesday said one of the misconceptions taught at the universities is that Dr. Nkrumah was voted for as a President.

“Dr Nkrumah never won a Presidential election in Ghana, never!” the journalist declared with an air of confidence.

Under his soft signature voice, Mr Pratt said the man, credited for the country’s independence, contested and won the 1960 Presidential poll.
“Throwing sand in everybody’s eye doesn’t solve the problem,” the out and out Nkrumaist piped out.

The remark by Paul Adom Otchere has taken social media especially Facebook by storm, with critics taking him on for what they claim is a “historical blunder.”

Reacting to Mr. Otchere’s claim on Facebook, Mr. Baako wrote: “Dr. Nkrumah won April 27, 1960, Presidential elections between him and Dr. Danquah which was held alongside the Referendum which resulted in Ghana becoming a Republic on July 1, 1960.”

The seasoned journalist said the historical blunder made by the Good Evening Ghana host was avoidable.

This is a “Basic fact of history!” Mr Baako said.

The history of Ghana’s march to independence is one area that continues to divide the country especially among members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on one hand and National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Convention People’s Party (NPP) on another.

The NPP believes the account of Ghana’s independence history will not be complete without the contributions of Dr. J. B. Danquah, Paa Grant and the other members of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).

To supporters of the NPP, which is an offshoot of the UGCC, there is a deliberate plot by supporters of the NDC and CPP to downplay the contributions of founders of the first political party in pre-independent Ghana.

Mr. Otchere reiterated the claim when he said: “As early as 1953 Dr. Nkrumah has already shown signs of obliterating the other people [UGCC founders].”
But the CPP and NDC have maintained the man voted as African ‘Man of the Millennium’ by BBC listeners in Africa in 200 is ‘primus inter pares.’

“Nkrumah is recognized for good reasons and those opposed to that are looking for ways to downplay him and pick August 4 as if someone is fighting with the date,” Mr. Pratt said.

myjoyonline.com